MC Concert Choir hosts Invitational Choral Festival

Maryville College’s Concert Choir, directed by Stacey Wilner, will host an Invitational Choral Festival 8 p.m., Nov. 14, in Wilson Chapel on the College campus. This is the first such choir festival at Maryville College and the performance is free and open to the public.

The festival will include performances by choirs from area high schools and community colleges in East Tennessee. Each choir will present a small program of 10 to 15 minutes of music. At the close of the concert, the ensembles will combine to form a large festival chorus of approximately 150 voices for the final two selections.

“ With this new event we hope to build a sense of community for area choirs and choir directors,” Wilner said. “The invitational festival is structured to be a non-judged event for fellowship, goodwill and the shared love of choral music.”

Next year Wilner hopes to expand the festival to include church choirs.

Participants scheduled for the festival are the Heritage Singers from Heritage High School, directed by Chris Clift; Variations from Pellissippi State, directed by William Brewer; Concert Choir from Roane State, directed by Cindy Claborn; Concert Choir, Chorale & Vocal Jazz Ensemble from Chattanooga State, directed by Darrin Hassevort; Concert Choir and Off Kilter from Maryville College, directed by Wilner.

According to Wilner, the final selections to be performed are “Gloria,” from “Gloria” by Antonio Vivaldi and “Lutkin Benediction,” by Peter Lutkin.